


Take a Step

by cheshireree (shyfoxes)



Category: Free!
Genre: Awkward Flirting, Developing Relationship, First Kiss, Flirting, Fluff, M/M, Plans For The Future, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-29
Updated: 2016-02-29
Packaged: 2018-05-24 00:19:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6135044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shyfoxes/pseuds/cheshireree
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>SouKisu Week: Day 5: Post-Canon</p><p>“Then you should come and live with me! I wanted to spend some more time with Hayato. But my folks and I have already put down for an apartment for me in Tokyo. I could really use a roommate,” Kisumi said. “I know you really well, too, you know. Working for your dad isn’t enough. Come and live with me. Let’s figure things out together.”</p><p>Or, Kisumi and Sousuke consider living together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Take a Step

Sousuke hadn’t lied when he said he would be fine with moving back to Sano and working for his father. He _would_ be fine. He didn’t mind cooking and filling orders behind the scenes. The less he actually had to interact with people that weren’t his folks or his uncle, the better. 

Sousuke really shouldn’t have been surprised when Kisumi showed up a week after graduation to see him. Rin had already gone on his way to Australia, a teary promise to keep in touch. Haruka and Makoto had also left for Tokyo not long after. In truth, Sousuke was surprised Kisumi was still bumming around Sano. While they’d drifted after elementary school, Sousuke knew how capable a student Kisumi was. He was probably the only other person besides him that could give Rin a run for his money grades wise. So why wasn’t he off in some other city making the most of university life?

“Yoohoo, Sou~suke!” Kisumi called. “I heard from a birdy that you’re back in Sano, too.”

It was a slow day, one Sousuke was grateful for. His father had gone off to run some errands for his mother, and his mother was enjoying her day-off. Which meant Sousuke was manning the restaurant by himself for a few hours. He peeked out from the curtains that shielded the kitchen from the dining area to see Kisumi sitting at a stool by the island near the register.

“Kisumi,” Sousuke greeted simply. “What do you mean ‘too’?”

Kisumi leaned a cheek into his palm, grinning at his friend. “I’m staying in Sano until next semester. Didn’t you know?”

Sousuke didn’t say anything. He really didn’t. In truth, he and Kisumi rarely talked. Something Rin had scolded him for, but which Sousuke had snarked back about. If he was guilty then so was Rin. Kisumi tsked, shaking his head good-naturedly when Sousuke gave no reply.

“I thought not! You guys are so mean,” Kisumi said, sighing. “And here I just wanted to see my old friend.”

Sousuke frowned, falling into old habits. “This is a place of business you know. There’s a no loitering sign outside.”

Kisumi waved a hand. “I was planning on ordering something, jeez, Sousuke. You think I’d pass up a chance to eat your cooking? Not likely!”

Sousuke coughed, feeling a bit of heat hit his cheeks. It was always like that when he was complimented in one way or another. It was downright unbearable at Samezuka. But with Kisumi’s lack of filter, it felt worse. Kisumi laughed lightly, and somehow it put Sousuke at ease.

“Mm, how about this? If you cook something up, you have to share it with me? We’ve got the whole place to ourselves and I want to catch up,” Kisumi offered.

Well, it had been a while. He also owed Kisumi for using him as a shield a few weeks back. He looked over to his friend, watching him grinning good-naturedly back at him. He was still leaning his cheek in his hand, curly pink hair falling over one eye a little coyly. Sousuke’s eye roved over the fine bone of Kisumi’s wrist, remembering briefly that he’d sprained it a few months back. His lips were almost as pink as his hair. Sousuke’s mouth went dry. Kisumi was always harder to read than anyone else, not that Sousuke really tried.

“That’s fine, then. What do you want?” Sousuke said, trying to keep on track. If he kept busy he’d think less.

“Hmm,” Kisumi said, pretending to think about it. “How about – tonkatsu?”

Sousuke rolled his eyes. “Suck up,” He muttered.

When Kisumi laughed, he couldn’t help but grin. Then he disappeared into the kitchen to get to work. It barely took any time, really. He’d been cooking up a bit since the morning to prepare for any lunch rush. But lunch time had come and gone, and no one had really come by. In some ways Sousuke had been relieved. He parted the curtains with one hand as he slid a big plate of tonkatsu on the counter. He joined Kisumi on the other side, producing two sets of chopsticks.

“Oh man, Sou, that looks so good,” Kisumi complimented. “I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of this.”

“Hopefully neither will our customers,” Sousuke said, snorting.

Kisumi only nudged him. They set in to eat. A comfortable silence fell over them, which perplexed Sousuke a bit. Kisumi was always one for fast talking and friendly noise. It was one reason he and Rin had gotten on so well. Sousuke was always more quiet. But here and now, Kisumi seemed overly content to sit in silence and thoroughly enjoy Sousuke’s cooking. If his happy expressions were anything to go by, Kisumi was on the brink of tears. He clutched onto the closest of Sousuke’s shoulders, the left one, and turned to him with a moved expression.

“How do I get you to cook like this for me more often?” He asked.

Sousuke shrugged, grinning mischievously. “You pay me.”

Kisumi pouted before stealing a piece of pork from Sousuke. He ignored his indignant squawk and downed it with a sly grin when Sousuke glared at him. If possible, it felt as if they were sitting even closer than the stools had allowed Kisumi tilted his head to invade Sousuke’s space more. It felt – intimate.

“That’s mean, Sousuke. I’m being serious. Have you thought about going farther with this?” Kisumi asked.

“Farther?” Sousuke repeated. “What, you mean like _majoring_ in cooking?”

“They call it culinary, you know,” Kisumi joked. “Imagine it. You’re a good cook, there’s a lot you could learn. Why not?”

Sousuke looked back at the emptying plate. He briefly considered eating the last bit of pork to avoid answering a bit longer. Instead he pushed it towards Kisumi’s half of the plate.

“That’s too much work, isn’t it? I’m fine here. I don’t mind working with my folks,” Sousuke said.

“Fine, huh. There’s fine and then there’s content. Which are you?” Kisumi pressed.

Sousuke shot him a confused look. Kisumi sighed, seeing that the gears weren’t really clicking. He took a bite of the pork to get his thoughts together.

“All right, all right. Let me put it another way. Do you really want to be in Sano forever, Sousuke? I know things haven’t worked out the way you want it. But, can you really see yourself just staying here, not trying anymore?” Kisumi asked.

Sousuke was quiet a moment. No, he really didn’t. Working with his family had seemed _logical_ since he no longer than anything in mind after swimming fell through. As much as he had feared the thought growing up, heading only towards swimming and the Olympics, at the back of his mind he figured his parents place would always be there to cushion him. Still, there was a swirling that he couldn’t escape. When he parted from Rin, Makoto, and Haru, he felt it more than ever. He just didn’t have a name for it.

“No, right?” Kisumi supplied.

He tilted his head to look better at Sousuke’s face, knowing he had hit the nail on the head.

“Then you should come and live with me! I wanted to spend some more time with Hayato. But my folks and I have already put down for an apartment for me in Tokyo. I could really use a roommate,” Kisumi said. “I know you really well, too, you know. Working for your dad isn’t enough. Come and live with me. Let’s figure things out together.”

Sousuke’s brows shot up, fully turning to face Kisumi now. Kisumi was leaning on his hand again, attention fully on Sousuke. A bit of sauce was on the corner of his mouth.

“You’d – want that?” Sousuke asked. “You’d help with that? I mean, we haven’t really been close all these years.”

“So? There’s always time to fix that. Just cook for me and we’ll call it even.” Kisumi said. “Actually, babysit Hayato sometimes for me, too, and then we’ll really be even.”

Sousuke blanched. “I’m not good with kids. I scare them.”

Kisumi waved that damned hand again. “It’ll be good for both of you. But, lets get back on track. I want to be with you in Tokyo figuring things out. I don’t really know what I want to do either. So, let’s stumble around a bit together.”

It definitely set an exhilarated thought through him. The idea of living with Kisumi both excited and made him cringe. Kisumi was a rather overbearing guy when he wanted to be, but overall genuine. But he’d survived living with Rin, so he was sure he could survive living with anyone. He grinned a little slyly. He swiped a thumb to wipe away the sauce from the corner of Kisumi’s lip. Kisumi’s eyes flew up to his before a coy grin appeared on his face. Kisumi made to lick the sauce from his thumb jokingly before Sousuke jerked it away and licked it off himself. Kisumi’s cheeks burned despite his mischievous expression.

“Together, huh?” Sousuke mumbled.

“Yes. Together,” Kisumi affirmed.

“Sounds a bit romantic. I bet Rin is over in Australia now feeling as though he’s lost a competition he can’t really place,” Sousuke joked.

“Friends have a way of rubbing off on their other friends, right? One or both of us was going to end up a bit romantic thanks to him. So you’ll think about it, Sou?” Kisumi said.

“Yeah, I’ll definitely think about it,” Sousuke said.

Kisumi’s hand had come to rest over his own without him even noticing. But nothing felt wrong about it. If anything, Sousuke had knocked their legs together as they turned to sit facing each other on the stools. His mouth moved before his brain did.

“I think you still have some sauce on you mouth,” He said, only a little embarrassed.

Kisumi’s eyes crinkled in amusement. He was leaning in just as Sousuke was.

“Get it for me?” Kisumi said.

Sousuke leaned down and did.

**Author's Note:**

> original here
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> When Rin comes to visit them later in Tokyo, he’s appalled by how sappy and gross his childhood friends have become. Short and sweet because I read a headcanon somewhere that it’d be cool if Sousuke considered culinary instead of PT! I like the idea of PT Sousuke, but I also like the idea of him doing a lot of other things too. I thought that was cool. If anyone knows the post, please send it to me so I can put the proper credit. 
> 
> I think Kisumi and Sousuke have a lot of catching up to do, and KyoAni should totally capitalize on it. It’d be nice if they lived together in Tokyo, then Sousuke and Haru could also bond over Kisumi-exasperation. But in seriousness, I think he’d be a good driving force for Sousuke. He knows how to move things in the right direction :9
> 
> Also!! Hayato would visit a lot in Tokyo and Sousuke would be a great older brother figure to him as well!! I love it.
> 
> I've warned you about my bad titling**


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